Edit a video with references

Original · blue ceramic cup

Edited · terracotta glaze from an image reference

This example uses Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash to change the cup's glaze while keeping the source shot. The extra image supplies the colour and material to aim for.

1. Choose the video to edit

Open a Video Session and choose an editing-capable model. On an existing result, choose Add as Edit Source. You can also upload a clip through Ref.

Check the clip's chip says Edit source. Open its role menu if you need to change it.

Video chip's Asset Role menu with Edit Source selected, Reference Video as a separate option, and an additional @Image1 chip. — Edit Source identifies the clip to change. Reference Video is a separate role for guidance.

2. Add an image to guide the change

Use the image Ref control to upload a file or choose Select from assets. Here we select the terracotta cup made in the product-campaign example.

Actual project asset picker with the terracotta-cup reference selected among the campaign images. — Reuse an image from the project. It becomes a reference alongside the source clip.

Leave this image as a General Reference, not a first or last frame. Its purpose is to guide the edit, not replace the video's opening frame.

3. Say what to change—and keep

Mention the reference with @ so the instruction points to the right image.

Edit the attached source video. Change only the cup's glaze to the glossy terracotta orange shown in @Image1. Keep the same cup shape, tabletop, background, steam and camera movement. No new objects, cuts or text.

Production Video Prompt Bar containing the edit instruction with an inline @Image1 chip, Edit source and image-reference attachments, Omni Flash 1.1, four seconds, 720p and Count 1. — One source clip, one image reference, and one selected video model.

4. Generate a separate version

Review the model, supported settings, and credit estimate, then generate. Play the complete result and compare it with the original: check the requested change, the motion, and any details you wanted to preserve.

The example above is a completed four-second, 1280×720 edit. It is a new video, not a destructive replacement of the source.

Download the original source · Download the edited original

Reference roles and limits depend on the model. Edit Source, Reference Video, and First Frame do different jobs—check the role, not just the attachment.

Set up the same edit in Seedance 2.5

Choose Seedance 2.5 in Models. Keep the clip as Edit source and the extra image as a General Reference, then mention the image with @ in your edit instruction.

Actual Seedance 2.5 Prompt Bar with a terracotta-glaze edit instruction, inline Image1 mention, Edit source video chip, image-reference chip, and Count 1. — Seedance 2.5 reference setup: one source video, one image reference, and Count 1.

Check the available settings and credit estimate after switching models. This shows the setup only—the completed before/after videos above use Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash.

References & @ mentions

A closer look at attaching and mentioning media.

Video editing in Agent

Describe an edit in conversation.

Open in Creativly: Video ↗